Is My Palm Springs Home Historic If It Was Built Before 1978?
Yes. Palm Springs counts every home built before 1978 as historic, listed or not, so changes to how the outside looks get the city's review. For a designated home or one counted toward a historic district, outside changes need historic approval before the permit. If you're adding or removing something outside, like a light, we'll walk you through that review.
The 1978 Rule
Which Palm Springs Homes Does the City Count as Historic?
Every Palm Springs home built before 1978 is historic, and so is any home the city has designated, counted toward a historic district or listed as one that could be designated. What that changes is outside work: a job that leaves the outside looking the same isn't a change the city reviews, though it may need a permit.
If your home was built before 1978, plan outside work with the city's review in mind.
The typical Palm Springs home
Census Bureau figures show the typical Palm Springs home was built in 1977, just inside the cutoff, so a home like it counts.
Written By
Frank Luersen
Owner and Founder, Home Team Electric
California C-10 Electrical Contractor License #879507, with 28 years of residential electrical experience serving the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin.
Last Updated: October 2026
How the Review Works
How Does Palm Springs Review Outside Changes to a Historic Home?
For a home the city hasn't designated or counted toward a historic district, a small outside change goes through the building permit, and the city's historic preservation officer signs off. A designated home, or one counted toward a district, needs historic approval for outside changes before the permit. You'll know which fits yours before any work begins.
- 01
Built before 1978 is enough
Your home doesn't need to be designated or listed to count. The city keeps no list of homes that count by age; the year yours was built decides. The city's rules for homes built before 1978
- 02
A bigger change, on the city's list
On a home the city lists as one that could be designated, a small change, like adding an outside light, takes the same permit path. A bigger outside change goes to the city's Historic Site Preservation Board. What the city counts as an outside change
- 03
Designated homes
If the city has formally designated your home, even a small outside change needs historic approval before the building permit is issued. The city's rules for designated historic homes
- 04
Historic districts
A home the city counts toward one of its historic districts follows the same rule as a designated home. The city's list of historic districts
Ask how the city counts your home before outside work is planned.
Know the Difference
What Counts as a Change to a Historic Home in Palm Springs?
The city counts any outside change that affects how the home looks. That includes putting up or taking down an outside light. Routine maintenance, or swapping a feature for a matching one, isn't a change. The city has the final say on what counts.
- Routine maintenance
- Swapping a feature for a matching one
- Work that leaves the outside looking the same
- Putting up a new outside light fixture
- Taking down an outside light fixture
- Any other outside change that affects how the home looks
A new outside light counts as a change. Routine upkeep doesn't.
Worth a Call First
When Should You Call Before Outside Work Starts?
- The job adds or takes down an outside light on a home built before 1978.
- The city has designated your home, or counts it toward a historic district.
- You're not sure a replacement matches the old one closely enough.
Call while you're still choosing what goes outside your Palm Springs home, and tell us the year it was built. On a home built before 1978, new or removed outdoor fixtures are a change the city reviews, so it's worth asking before they go up.
What to Expect
What Does a Visit Look Like at an Older Palm Springs Home?
It starts with one check on a Palm Springs home built before 1978: whether the work would change how the outside looks. Your price comes from that work and the condition of your older wiring. When the work is in, we test each piece, leave the yard tidy and walk you around what changed.
- 01
We evaluate first.
We look at the outside job you're planning and the older wiring it would connect to.
- 02
We explain the situation.
In plain words, you hear whether your outside change goes through the building permit, or needs historic approval before it.
- 03
We give you the price before any work begins.
Our $99 service fee covers the time we need to evaluate the situation, the available options, and guaranteed pricing before any work begins. Every decision about what happens next belongs to you.
- 04
Then you decide.
We'll explain what we see and walk you through your options. You decide what fits your home.
Backed by the Work
Who Backs the Work on Your Palm Springs Home?
We do, as we have across the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin since 2006. In Palm Springs homes from the 1930s to the 1960s, cloth-covered wiring still comes up in our work. Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee back every job. Same-day service available.
- California C-10 Electrical Contractor License #879507. Verify it at cslb.ca.gov.
- Home Team Electric works exclusively on residential electrical systems in desert conditions. All work is code-compliant and backed by our Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee.
Not sure your job changes how the outside looks?
Call 760-248-8709 or book online.
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